


of two warm hearts - a fairytale

by Qwinta



Series: The Unorthodox Chronicle of Running Away [1]
Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Scenario, Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bughead Freeform? I guess, F/M, Gen, almost no plot whatsoever, alternate life, could potentially get weird, honestly i don't even know how to explain this, i'll try my best to get weird, one concept, pretty experimental
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-14 01:30:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11197632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qwinta/pseuds/Qwinta
Summary: He was wilder, rude, and instead of crying, he sneered. His fangs flared, his shoulders turned intently back to the sun, and he hissed at any gentle approach coming at him. His fur was so dark, like it desperately wanted to cling to the night, become one with it, and quietly slip into oblivion.At first, she thought, he was the loneliest creature she ever met.





	of two warm hearts - a fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> So Bughead got me back to writing fanfics after years. (Yay!) And since Alternate Universe and Reincarnation are my weaknesses, and Archie Comics, as far as Im concerned, is so damn adaptable, I must unleash this idea of plotless shorts onto my favorite characters and couple. 
> 
> English isn't my first language, so I beg you please pardon me for my limited vocabulary, possibly shitty, shitty grammar, and my lame attempt at rhyming.
> 
> Val, you're the best. So as my fellow cult members. You rock!

Once upon a time, in a fortunate kingdom lived a fair and gentle princess. Bright, clear green eyes with golden, silky hair, her beauty was one of angels’. Such kind of beauty that made birds sing, about that poets wrote, singers speechless and painters frustrated. In addition, the princess was also highly intelligent and possessed many talents. She had deep understanding of almost every subject and to each problem could usually give a fair and smart solution.

But the greatest gift of all, according to every folk, was the princess’s heart. Her heart was so good, kind and full of love, it shone through her soft, innocent skin and embraced her in a warm, pure glow. To children was she patient. To the old and sick was she helpful. To the criminals was she forgiving. To the poor was she generous. As fair as she was wise, as wise as she was kind; the princess was the pride and joy of her parents, and a blessing to her people.

_Ever so nice, ever so lovely. Ever, ever, ever…_

Unfortunately, the sweet princess was under a horrible curse: By day remained she a gorgeous, happy princess, but by night, she turned into a wolf-like beast, who cried for all the lies that had been thrown its way. Its back was hunched due to exhaustion under the enormous pressure and expectations, from King, Queen and all others, to stay perfect and spotless, and its fur dark to match the shadows. Its fingers curled tight into the palms to stop the tears from falling (to little avail), the claws sank in the flesh and drew blood.

 

“A crying beast with bleeding paws

How absurd, how odd

Should such foul creature be accepted? No.

Where is our precious princess? She’s nowhere in sight.

She must not be near the thing, what ugly thing, it taints one’s eyes

And she was ever such a delight!”

_Ever, ever, ever…_

 

The King and Queen were certainly displeased, and the people, to whom the princess had become a demigoddess, refused to believe a monstrosity could exist in within a lamb. They all decided to lock the black beast away when the sun set, while tried to forget it ever existed. And then in daylight, they brought the shining princess out, and they loved her and adored her and worshiped her, as if nothing ever happened.

 

_Ever, ever, ever…_

All remnants of the night were little moon scars on her palms, which she hid under neatly and properly folded posture.

 

_***(The curse was casted over the entire kingdom)***_

 

One day the beast fled.

At midnight, while all were asleep, with the content knowledge that the coming sun would cast away all shadows and shine on all houses like coins, the beast fled.

It could not withstand the confinement any more. It got sick of the castle, of the King and Queen, whom it called Father and Mother, of the constant delusions the people have for it. But most of all, it got sick of the princess. The princess, who was ever nice, ever did the right thing, ever was the hard-working student, ever was the obedient child.

 

The princess, who was ever only a walking check-list of one’s wish-fulfilled dream.

 

_Ever, ever, ever…_

 

And with this departure, the princess died.

The beast was she now. Ever.

_Ever, ever, ever…_

The kingdom woke up.

 

_***(She tasted freedom)***_

 

After days, the beast ran into another beast.

He was wilder, rude, and instead of crying, he sneered. His fangs flared, his shoulders turned intently back to the sun, and he hissed at any gentle approach coming at him. His fur was so dark, like it desperately wanted to cling to the night, become one with it, and quietly slip into oblivion.

 At first, she thought, he was the loneliest creature she ever met.

 

Then she looked into his stormy blue eyes, and she realized, they were one and the same.

 

She decided to keep his company, despite his protests, because that was she. In spite of all past assumptions about her, her warm heart was true. It was indeed kind and loving, the gentle light coming out of her chest was genuine. It casted glimmers over grey fur, made her appear like a spirit of the woods, shining over their path.

 

She wasn’t sure if he would admit it, but she knew his heart was shining, too.

 

_***(How long did they go?)***_

 

They’ve traveled so far, over many mountains and many seas. Often they stopped to admire the scenery from the distance. Everywhere was beautiful, ever shiny and peaceful. Tragically poetic, as the way he’d like to call it, as it always looked inviting and wonderful from afar, while brewing the ugliness underneath the surface. She would nod, understood fully what he meant, although she still hoped it wasn’t that true. They would look at the scenery again, with longing but also strangely foreign looks, their minds wondered if in fact they truly missed it, before continued their journey.

 

*** _(About the pauper)***_

In the neighboring kingdom of the blessed princess, there lived a beast.

A sad and lonesome beast.

Once, it was a boy.

Once, the boy had a family. Father, mother, and a younger sister, whom he loved dearly.

The family started from nobles, then fell from grace. The transformation to the boy started here.

The father joined a group of warlords out of bitterness and starvation. They caused havoc everywhere.

The mother, who’d only ever want a peaceful and stable life, asked the father to stop.

The father promised his family he would stop.

The boy turned back to his human form.

The father didn’t stop.

The mother begged him to stop.

The father swore: All of these, the drunken nights, the bloody men, the poverty and the humiliation, would all be over soon.

The boy reverted back to his human form.

It went on for years.

One day, when the father was away, the mother picked up the younger girl, and joined on the carriage of a wealthy merchant, journeyed down West. Followed the carriage were horses, cows, goods, and her stability.

The transformation was almost completed.

For the next few years, the father kept wrecking wars with rival warlords. He, again, promised his only son, what he had promised his wife.

The reversion happened still, but fewer and farther in between.

One day, the father died in a drunken duel.

The beast fled.

 

_***(They kept going)***_

 

Neither was sure what they were looking for, but it didn’t matter.

Naturally should they seek a sorcerer, to find a way to undo the curse. But they didn’t feel like they need to.

 

For not once did they mind what they saw.

 

She looked at him, and she saw the sensitive and caring boy, with the most amazing blue eyes and mind that she’d ever known, who deserved all the love in the world.

 

He looked at her, and he saw a force of nature, an interesting combination of contradictories, as kind and nurturing as she could be passionate and destructive.

 

She stopped crying, the scars on her palms surely fading, and his aggressive hissing were replaced slowly into amused purring.

 

Summer rolled in, the generous rays straightened more their backs, lightened the thickness of their fur, washed away the blacks and instead, dipped them in a glittering grey-purple hue.

 

_***(Then came the change)***_

One day, a handsome prince went hunting in the woods and found the green-eyed creature. He had heard about the magnificent cursed princess with the shining heart that went missing, and by his wits, connected the pieces. Merrily, he ordered the retinue to put her on the prettiest carriage and bring her back to the castle, where he would propose.

 

“O, how blessed I am to this day,

That I need no dragon to slay, and found this lady,

This jewel, from so far away,

Whom I would gladly make my bride today,

O, what a fine wife she would make

As my kiss would break her curse

As my love would bring her back,

Back to glory, back to praises,

Back to the princess that she once was.

After the beast’s skin is shred, we shall wed

(If she takes me, I wish she may),

For ever we shall live our days…”

 

_Ever, ever, ever…_

As the whole kingdom joined in the prince’s joy of his upcoming wedding, the blue-eyed beast was crushed.

 

For it was to be that way. The beautiful prince would save the beautiful princess, the spell would be broken, and they would live happily ever after.

 

Only the poor, mean monster must spend his days alone.

 

_Ever, ever, ever…_

 

And then he realized, she never needed saving.

 

She saved herself. And she saved him, too, along the way. Without being asked, without being forced to. Just by being her wonderful, courageous self, she did that.

 

He could only hope that she wanted him to save her, too.

 

_Hope._

 

For the first time in so long, the beast allowed himself to hope again.

 

So he slipped into the night, and waited.

 

_***(He waited)***_

 

At midnight, as they were still shooting fireworks in the sky, and the prince was greeting his people, the beast saw his companion, still in her beast form, running quietly from the castle, in the direction of her old kingdom. Her own light illuminated as brilliantly as the Moon himself.

 

He followed her.

_***(They ran back there)***_

It was all ruins now, her old home. After the princess was gone, the whole kingdom fell apart. Crimes became more prominent. Lives were taken over secrets and lies. Wars broke out. The peaceful cover cracked open like molds.

 

She stood over the rumble of her old chamber, where all memories of her childhood were buried, and a part of her thought about would it be different if she’d stayed. Another part knew, this was the only ending they ever had.

 

The smallest part of her drifted back to the nice prince and his kingdom, and wondered how much time they had left.

 

The last part, the largest part, acknowledged HIM trailing behind her, quiet and unsure.

 

It was raining.

 

“I love you.” _(All of you, as you are. I hope you love me as well. I hope you would stay.)_ He said.

 

She turned back. Her eyes were so bright, her heart was so bright, one would thought: “It may not be night.”

 

“I love you.” She answered.

 

The unexpected late summer rain purified the earth, the air, the water, washed away the dirt, the dust, and stripped off the last pieces of their beastly skin.

 

The curse was broken.

The two lovers stood in the pouring rain, seeing each other like every time, and like the very first time.

 

All bare, and raw, and true.

 

They kissed.

 

And they lived happily ~~ev… ~~

 

**Author's Note:**

> Part One of series The Unorthodox Chronicle of Running Away: set in different universes, timelines, and realities, in which Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones escape Riverdale.
> 
> Inspiration: Beauty and The Beast (obviously), The Hunchback of The Notre Dame, Shrek, Demons - Imagine Dragons, Perfect - Ed Sheeran, Mirrors - Justin Timberlake, and, surprise surprise, Care Bears.


End file.
